Sometimes it’s better not to know any better.

They say the "ignorant fool" can often be a better entrepreneur than the "know it all" genius, and I believe that 100%. 

That was me. 

I often didn't know much about the industry or a topic when I started something, but that didn't stop me from going all in. 

As I get older, I find it is more of a challenge to create something innovative.

I work hard not to let my "experience" stand in the way.

Wisdom is a double-edged sword. 

We often bring so many perceived notions with us about what is so-called right or wrong, the risks, all the ways something might fail, what could go wrong. 

When you have some experience it’s easy to let your mind anticipate what’s next based upon what’s happened prior (naturally zooming ahead, playing out any number of scenarios in business, in life) 

That's what I love about the mind of a child. 

They don't spend time figuring out what could go wrong; they start, which is how amazing (new) things happen.

I think this is why outsiders, people with no experience in a field, often create new things in older industries with many experienced folks. 

Outsiders don't focus on why it won't work; they start fresh and are inspired by what people want.

You'd think that the people most deeply involved in an industry would be in the best position to change things since they understand the problems, the roadblocks, and the intricacies of what's broken. 

But that's often not true, and therefore it's always counter-intuitive to discover that most people who end up dismantling the status quo do so by bringing a child's eye to the problem.

Blockbuster didn't start Netflix. Hilton didn't start Airbnb.

Outsiders question the most basic assumptions and ways of working.

In other words, their outsider status is a blessing, not a curse.

Or, to put it another way, my younger self was on to something — sometimes it's better not to know any better.

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